Brothers and Sisters,
I bet many of you have had the experience that I have had of growing to appreciate something from your family of origin that you didn’t quite honor as a child. For me that has been the observation and celebration of the changing seasons. My mother was incredible at this and while she certainly deserves praise for many things, the way our home reflected the changing seasons is one for which she surely ranks among the greats. As I’ve grown to more readily observe and anticipate the seasons, it is no surprise that June 20th, this year’s summer solstice, has been emphatically highlighted in my paper calendar for weeks.
Today, for those newer to seasonal appreciation, marks the day of the most daylight in the year. Since the winter solstice on December 21, the day with the shortest light, light has been slowly advancing her claim on the day. Summer solstice is the triumph of light in all of its extended (and without question, hot) glory!
As I get older, time seems to move faster and the world continues to be complex no matter how hard I work to simplify it. In the midst of the speed and complexity can come an ever present heaviness. There is so much to do, manage, and keep up with. So much to tend to, lament, and grieve over. It’s easy to forget that it is God who is the setter and keeper of our days and seasons (Genesis 8:22). That the one who apportioned the seasons to turn across millenia also architected the Son’s arrival of the kingdom across generations.
The light shone in the darkness and the light did indeed overcome it. Praise be that the King of Glory is the King of Light! Let today remind us that any darkness we see has an expiration date. The true Light is advancing. The light shone in the darkness and the light will fully overcome it. While it may feel slower than our hearts would like, it is as sure as the bright light we can see with our eyes today. May God give us spiritual eyes to see his coming kingdom and courage to wait well.
As you enjoy a few more moments of daylight today, I’d encourage you to take a moment to be really truly present to the light all around you. Maybe it’s the physical sensation of a warm day that reminds you of the life he has given you, it could be giving thanks for the child that you prayed for, acknowledging the extra mental space because of freedom you’ve experienced this year, or a verse in the Bible that has taken on new depth and life. Whatever light you are able to be present to today, my prayer is that it would point you deeply to the Father who so graciously transferred us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light.
Happy summer solstice! Today is the day the Lord has made! Let us be glad and rejoice that he who neither slumbers nor sleeps when light pervades the day or when it is harder to come by keeps your going out and your coming in (Psalm 121: 3-8).
Let us store up these moments of easy sunshine this summer. We know that there will be moments later this year where it seems like darkness has won the day, yet even, and especially, then, we can be confident the light will surely win. Let us remember God’s goodness, graciousness, greatness, and glory this long summer day!
In Christ,
Antonea Bastian
